Darlin, a 69 Ranger SWB

[FreakysFords]

Was planning to get get the clip, column, P/S pump, ash tray and bump trim pulled from the 70, and clean out the bed this afternoon, but this happened






WHERE IS SUMMER?!?!?!?!

[basketcase0302]

WHERE IS SUMMER?!?!?!?!

I spoke to my Father last night up on Lookout Mountain, said they're pretty much snowed in by this morning (even with his 4 X 4). Feel real fortunate I'm not up there yet, working in that stuff is not cool! I gotta' wonder if that "squaw" ever saw the Noccalula Falls like this!

39 here this morning in Central Florida, ya'll stay warm!

[FreakysFords]

They were already closing 35 by lunch yesterday! I'm supposed to be up there near the old canyon land park today, but well. I aint!

I actually have a 1948 Willys M38 that never did care what the weather was, so I "could" go, but aint. Man my 18 years are starting to feel more like the actual number of years that I've been 18.

[FreakysFords]

Well, It was cold and down right nasty, but I couldn't take it any longer. Had to get SOMETHING done!

Not much to list today, but I did Get the seat pulled from the 70, along with the interior light, and a few other minor goodies. Somewhere along the way I got to wishing I had an old 4cyl Perkins to put in this truck and DD it. Dont' have one, so parts she is. hmmmm wonder how well she'd pull with a 30hp Iseki 3cyl diesel.
(actually thinking of putting the lil Iseki in the 91 Ranger if I do anything other than sell it.)

Got back to work on my IP and have it ready to mount and use until I can find another F600 IP

Was trying to start the Mercedes for a potential buyer and sure enough, the fuel pump finally bit the dust on it. While showing it, a man pulled up asking about the 70. Turns out he's the original owner of the truck. He was a little disheartened to hear I was parting it out for the 69, but in no means trying to be rude, I just couldn't accept his offer of $200 for the truck. The odds of finding parts in this good shape are slim to none, and certainly not for $200, so I had to disappoint him.

Other than that, I FINALLY got my suspension leveled out. The right rear had a long home made shackle. The spring had settled to make up for the difference, so I replaced both sides.

[FreakysFords]

It was actually somewhat warm today!!!!! AND, it was almost dry!!!!

I got some new goodies from another user. Rear view mirror is installed. Glove box door now has a good stop cable.
I also got a lock set. I put the lock set in yesterday, so that I could lock the truck while I re-keyed my old set (3 different keys). Got them re-keyed late last night and got them back in this evening.

Pulled the left (driver's) door from the 70 and put it on Darlin. Hoping I have time during lunch tomorrow to sand the original down and see how bad it is. My plans are to repair it and put it back on the truck once it's repaired, primed and base coated. One day this week anyway.
Not the first time I've done this and STILL I don't recommend swapping a door after dark with nothing but the interior light and a little LED flashlight to see by, at least not by yourself. Ah well, it's on. Alignment's a little off, but I can straighten that at work (never did like aligning doors, the rest of the body I don't mind. no idea why).

Rear view mirror. Mine was in very bad shape, the "I don't have one" kind of bad shape. I've always liked the slick side / 67 mirror better than the glue ups, so I finally installed a 67 mirror on my 69. I just held it up, aligned it, center punched one hole and drilled it. Installed a screw in the newly drilled hole and re-aligned mirror, then punched another (etc.). Looks nice to my tastes. I've got to strip and paint it, but I'm holding off on that until I can get to the junkyard and get another little something for it.

Mirror. A little dark, but cell phone is only camera working atm.


No door (yup, just piled everything in the seat till I needed it. )


70 Door (actually a very nice door, but still want to save my old one if it's not tooooooooo bad)


And last but not least: After installing the mirror (did it in parking lot at work as soon as I clocked out for the day), I had to head for the gas station (had to push her. 40' shy of the pumps), and saw this sitting in the parking lot. I actually see tons of bump trucks around here, but I've just now started taking pics.

Is this your truck?
There's another one I drive by often but can never get a pic of that I'm going to go check on one day this week. It's been sitting in a parking lot for ages and I'm HOPING I can get my hands on it. It's a 71 or 72 by the grill. I'll get pics of it when I go find out if I can acquire it.

[basketcase0302]

Progress for sure man!
My backs hurting just thinking about changing a door...
Good to hear that NE AL still has plenty of bumps hanging around. I've got an uncle on Sand Mountain that might even have a couple left.

[FreakysFords]

Got my shifter fixed FINALLY! I've gone from a 10" by 14" shift pattern to a 4.25" by 7"(ish) pattern! Shifts are nice and solid and the sifter's so tight it feels like new. Now If I could only find a couple more parts so 1st engagement would be a sure thing. It's 4 or 5 THOUSAND times better, but I still have to ease out on the clutch to see if it took fully.

I did manage to get my driver's door adjusted, but still ended up doing it by myself. I cheated and used the air bladders from my lockout kit to jack the door around here and there with it shut (latch post removed). Worked pretty well

Picked up my new distributor about an hour ago and hope to get it installed tomorrow, but certainly no later than this weekend. There's a $30 core charge!!!! I'm keepin my points distributor, and had planned to eat the core charge, but ^#%#%#*^&#*%# on that! If I don't have one in the bin, I'll nab a junker from my local junkyard for $5 and turn it in.

My strobe died on my trusty old timing light, and NAPA couldn't have me a replacement for at least a month, so they gave me a deal on a "slight" (lol HUGE) upgrade and still ordered my strobe for me. Got this for $50!!! Gotta love NAPA!

My 6A bit the dust a few weeks ago, so I'm going to run the FoMoCo IGN for now (was going to keep it in the truck for an easy swap anyway) and step up to a 6al-2 later. After 3 hours of junkyarding, I couldn't find a single truck or car with intact DS2 wiring, so going to wire in terminals for now and order pig tails next week.

Now for the interesting part. if you can't decide which mirrors you want, put one of each on and see which you like more still not sure.

The pics are kinda sad due to time of day / cell phone, but it gives an idea

I wish my grill looked as good as this pic shows it (and it dun look good in the pic!)

[FreakysFords]

I've about decided to go with the donor's mirrors (driver's side on above pics), but I think I'd like to swap in a slightly larger mirror to the mount.

Got my DSII completed today. Well that's not entirely true, I've got to pop the distributor and move her a couple teeth to better center the distributor, and I've still got to replace the damper as I don't care to mark timing on this one.

I've definately got to retune the carb as she's rich enough to throw flames out the rear exit duals on decel.

Finished my new harness, but still in a holding pattern until my new 12 circuit fuse block arrives, and that could be a while.

Dug out the gauge cluster that I got from Kaos a while back and got it ready to go back in. When I got this I was planning to only run it until I could get my f600 IP going. Did get the f600 working and in, but it was stolen a month or so ago and I'm just going to run the one I got from Kaos as my final install. I want to have his nic applied to the gauge face and let him have a little place in my truck. Still gotta pull the speedometer cable from the 70 (they cut mine when they stole the IP) so I can finish the install. For now, my Garmin Nuvi is my speedometer.

Spent about 2 hours finding the best way to put my Volvo cruise control on Darlin, but have it figured out. My plans are to keep it hidden, and I'll be mounting the vacuum unit down on the frame to keep it hidden.

Pulled a couple extra door latches out to mod. I'm adding pwr locks, but hiding the switch. Ultimately I plan to add keyless entry (remote). I'm also going to bypass the "idiot lock" (must lock with door closed) on the passenger side.

In the process of it all today, I found out that my steering column is in worse shape than I thought, but rather than repair it, I'm just going to swap the "shift collar" from mine to the auto column in the parts truck and use it.

Spent the majority of the day bringing a Case 222 hydro lawn tractor back to life. I'm restoring this one and keeping it. Got the hydro working and pulling like a champ. Engine's now in prime shape, purrs like a kitten and starts with the slightest crank movement (nope, didn't go electronic on it, she's points and working great). Got the steering unstuck and greased up, but it's gonna take a little more work or a giant steering wheel. Used it to pull my neighbor's wheelless (no front wheels and no rear axle) 454 suburban out of his yard, into the street and onto his trailer. Tough little tractors! Gotta hurry up and get it done though so I can get to work on the Cub Cadet lowboy. Putting a 289 on it. can't wait till I mow the lawn once with a 289 Cub Cadet (headers to short stand pipes and no mufflers), somehow I doubt it'll happen more than once.

[basketcase0302]

I've about decided to go with the donor's mirrors (driver's side on above pics), but I think I'd like to swap in a slightly larger mirror to the mount.

What size (how much room do you have in-between those mounts)?
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... 11&t=47450
Wanna' do some "horse trading"?

Finished my new harness, but still in a holding pattern until my new 12 circuit fuse block arrives, and that could be a while.

You just can't add enough electrical stuff to our trucks as far as I'm concerned! Nice upgrade there!

Dug out the gauge cluster that I got from Kaos a while back and got it ready to go back in. When I got this I was planning to only run it until I could get my f600 IP going. Did get the f600 working and in, but it was stolen a month or so ago and I'm just going to run the one I got from Kaos as my final install. I want to have his nic applied to the gauge face and let him have a little place in my truck.

A very fitting tribute to a good man! He is missed here by many.

get to work on the Cub Cadet lowboy. Putting a 289 on it.

You aint' related to Randy Quaid are you? Ever see the movie "Moving" with Richard Pryor?

[FreakysFords]

Well dang! Typed out my full reply and it didn't post.

attempt #2

What size (how much room do you have in-between those mounts)?
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... 11&t=47450
Wanna' do some "horse trading"?

Do I wanna do some horse trading. LOL YES. 16" will be tight, heading to measure shortly.

You just can't add enough electrical stuff to our trucks as far as I'm concerned! Nice upgrade there!

You said it! 12 is more than I need for what I have planned, but I know that odds are sooner or later I'll be adding something and would rather have too much on the initial build than to have to "scab" something in.

A very fitting tribute to a good man! He is missed here by many.

He deserves a place in many of our trucks. I'm still trying to find someone to do the lettering

You aint' related to Randy Quaid are you? Ever see the movie "Moving" with Richard Pryor?

never before that movie did I want anything to do with a saab. after that I wanted one to baja!

[basketcase0302]

never before that movie did I want anything to do with a saab. after that I wanted one to baja!

The guy was like "Sybil" but worse!

One week later, no update on your truck? I know it's not snowing up there still!

[bb429power]

I used to put all of my parts on the seat, what a mess. Start putting fordification cards under their wiper blades

[FreakysFords]

not much to update on the bump.

Got the headlamp buckets fixed up for now (a couple hours ago).
Cleaned up a few minor details under the hood.
Found and fixed what I THINK is the last oil leak (missing bolt in T/C)
That's about it.

With spring planting so close (hopefully this weather will allow it!), I've been uber busy with work AND farm. Got a ton to get done this year to be able to plant. All this rain and the ground is just completely saturated. Got the IH 1066 ready to plow (I'm no plow, so took some doing) as there's not much way around turning the soil this year. Push come to shove, I'll hitch ole Chade up and step back in time, plowing with a horse. Whatever it takes, We've had two bad years in a row and if I can't make a go of it this year, I'll pretty much have to sell out to keep from going under. I don't really know where that would leave me. I do just fine with no farm income (it's income goes back to it's self and what's left to the kids who still enjoy farms), but I don't know how to not be a farmer. Ah well. I actually think this year's gonna pan out fine as I'm set up for 5 different situations (provided I can get some seeds in the ground)

In amungst all this, I've managed to get my "new" farm truck ready for work.

New farm truck


F O R D





And the new redneck-plowboy rat-rod tractor!

[FreakysFords]

FINALLY! Dr released me.

I can FINALLY get back to work on Darlin!

Had another boon of good luck and sold the ranger (the 91)! Now I can get my harmonic damper and a couple other NEEDED goodies.

Just wish I could have kept the shoulder harnesses on the top of the list, but they'll be soon.

Found another running driving parts truck.

Gonna try to sell the turbo brick and go get it. I'll have my grill, a nice seat, a temporary replacement for my PIA transmission, bumper, lower valance and many other goodies. I just hope it's still available when the car sells (same man who bought the ranger is going to try and have the money tomorrow).

That'll leave ONE more Volvo (brick) to sell, if my Bride's serious about selling hers, and then I can start on the "home shop".

[bb429power]

Lookin good Freaky. I like the redneck tractor, who's that cool dude driving it.